EUGENE -- Maybe nothing better illustrated the symbiosis between what the Ducks were doing on the track Saturday at Hayward Field and the raw energy coming from the Hayward Field seats, then the awards ceremony after Oregon wrapped up the men's NCAA outdoor track & field championship.

The UO men, brandishing their trophy on the infield, turned to the west grandstand and shouted "Go!"

The fans shouted back "Ducks!"

And so it went as Track Town celebrated Oregon's first men's outdoor title since 1984, when Bill Dellinger was coach, Joaquim Cruz won the 800 and 1,500 meters, and Kory Tarpenning, Dub Myers, Jim Hill and Brian Couser starred.

Some of those people in the west stands were there 30 years ago, and it's been a long wait.

Give UO coach Robert Johnson credit. This has happened quickly.

The UO men finished 10th outdoors as recently as 2011 and ninth in 2012.

Johnson did it his way, throttling back on the home meet schedule in the regular season and promising the big payoff would come at the end.

The Ducks were about as broad-based as a men's team can be in this era of 12.6 scholarships, scoring in the sprints, hurdles, throws and, especially, distances. It was across-the-board impressive.

In fact, if not for some bad luck late in the season, Oregon might have swept this thing.

Give the Ducks a healthy Jasmine Todd, Samantha Murphy and Marybeth Sant, if the 4x100 completes the first pass in the national semifinals and if Sarah Penney doesn't get bumped off the track in the 1,500 final, perhaps the UO women would have been battling Texas A&M for a title.